Mesh machine



Sept 17, 1929.

F. SWEETING MESH MACHINE Filed June 27, 1924 ll Sheets-Sheet 1 t wk INVENTOR $14 5%;- BY

Wm ZZhww/s qATlORNEYS' Se t. 17, 1929. F. SWEETING MESH MACHINE Filed June 27, 1924 ll Sheets-Sheet fVENTOR w a I ATTORNEY S RV v fe4 agi an N%\ Q g N N Sept. 17, 1929.

F. SWEETING MESH MACHINE 11 sheets-sheet s Filed June 27, 1924 Sept. 17, 1929. F. SWEETING MESH, MACHINE Filed June 27, 1924 11 Sheets-Sheet 4 jNVENIgR awk. as s- ATTORNEYS Sept. 17,1929. F. SWEETING 1,728,639

' MESH MACHINE Filed June 27, 1924 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 175 i /74 w w 5 ATTORNEYS Sept- 1 9- F. SWEETING 1,728,639 MESH M CHINE Filed June 27, '1924 11 Sheets-Sheet 6 f lNVENTO R I 295 I r 287 /%MM am/5 Sept. 17, 1929. F. SWEETING MESH MACHINE Filed June 27, 1924 11 Sheets-Sheet 8 Wyw, F

INVENTOR 5mg 9 (ml/1 ATIORNEYj Sept. 17, 1929.

F. SWEETING unsu MACHINE Filed J1me 27, 1924 Sheets-Sheet 9 S/ZNQTOR ,5, ATTORNEYS Sept. 17, 1929. F. SWEETING 1,728,639

MESH MACHINE Filed June 27, 1924- 11 Sheets-Sheet 11 I MAAAAAH j ATroRNEYS Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNH'EH STATES- inane PATENT OFFECE FRED SWEETING, OF PLAINVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR '10 WHI'IING 8r, DAVIS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS MESH MACHINE Application filed June 27,

This invention relates to the manufacture of link mesh fabric, such as commonly used in the manufacture of ladies hand bags and other similar articles. More specifically, the

invention is directed to the provision of a machine for the production of a link mesh fabric of an ornamental character which contains links of different colored metals arranged in the fabric according to prede-, 10 tel-mined designs or patterns.

Machines of various types are in use at the present time for making link mesh, and on these. machines the mesh is produced either in the form of a sleeve or in a fiat 1 Web or strip. The fabric is composed of links, each of which is intermeshed with a plurality of other links, and in a strip of the fabric there are rows of links arranged both transversely and longitudinally of the piece. These links are usually made of wire of a precious or semi-precious metal, and in some machines the wire is led from a supply to link-forming devices or tools by which lengths of wire are severed and formed into rings or links, intermeshing. with those of the piece of mesh. These machines operate with a step by step movement with the link-forming tools operating to insert a link at each period of rest. In some cases, the machine is provided with several sets of tools, thus increasing the rate of production, but at each operation of a set of tools, a single link is formed. In other machines the forming tools are supplied with staples previously made of wire and carried in magazines, of which there is one for each set of tools. A multiplicity of tools arranged in a bank in the machine, and upon each operation of the tools one complete row of links is added to the mesh at one end. With either type of machine only one kind of wire is used at a time for all the tools, and consequently the fabric produced has a plain, undecorated appearance.

The machine of the present invention is designed to produce ornamental mesh, and is so arranged and constructed that links of dili'erent kinds of metal may be incorporated in the :tabric during the progress of the 1924. Serial No. 722,708.

mesh-making operation. These different metals'have different colors and the machine is arranged so that various patterns may be formed in the fabricby inserting links of the metals of contrasting colors in a selected order. I

The principles of the present invention may be utilized in connection with meshmaking machines of any of the various wellknown types, such as those which produce mesh in the form of a sleeve or in the form of a flat strip; those in which the mesh moves either downwardly or upwardly as it is made, and those in which the mesh is produced either a link at a time or a row of links at a time. The type of machine which is considered best for the purpose is that in which the mesh is made in the form of a sleeve which is moved upwardly as the operation of adding links to the piece progresses. This machine is provided, in addition to the ordinary instrumentalitics for making the rings and inserting them in the fabric, with a plurality of supplies of different wires, or wires presenting a different surface appearance, and automatic mechanism for controlling the operation of the machine to make links from these different kinds of wire in a predetermined order of succession, to begin making links from any selected wire at a predetermined point in thefabric, and to shift from one wire to another after a predetermined number of links has been made. This automatic mechanism is under the control of a master device which may conveniently include an endless sheet or tape similar to that commonly known as a music roll and which is prepared in advance so that the selected pattern will be made and repeated as often as may be desired throughout the length oi? the piece of mesh. In mesh-making machines of the sleeve type the wire is fed from a supply to link-forming tools which make and insert links intermeshing with other links at the edge of the cylindrical piece of fabric. These tools operate to cut a piece of Wire, bend it to the form of a staple, advance the staple toward the mesh so as to ineert'its legs through a pair of links at certain kind of wire, the feeding mechanism.

associated with the supply of that wire is brought into action and feeds a length sufficient for a single link. The link-forming devices sever the length fed, form it into a staple and perform the other steps in the insertion and closing of the staple to form a link, whereupon the piece of mesh and the tools aremoved relatively to present a new portion of the fabric to the tools. WVire for another link is now fed to the tools and the cycle of operations is again carried on, with each feeding operation controlled by the pattern devices.

The automatic master mechanism which controls the change from. one piece of wire to another is driven by the power driven devices of the machine and is actuated in correspondence with the step by step movement of the piece of mesh relative to the tools, and the operation of these tools in the periods of rest of that step by step,

movement. This master. controller at selccted intervals functions to discontinue the operation of the feeding mechanism for one supply of wire and to bring into action the mechanism for another supply as may be required by the pattern. Included in the control mechanism is a pattern sheet, pref-' era-lily endless, and having effective control areas arranged thereon in groups. The mechanism is soconstructed that these effective areas are brought successively into operating position group after group and each area governs the formation of a single link, determining the wire which is to be used in making that link. The areas, which may be in the form of projections, or per forations and blank spaces, are so disposed on the sheet that their position and arrangement corresponds in a general way to the position and arrangement of the single links in the fabric, and these areas are of (lifi'erent forms, the number of which corresponds to the number of different kinds of wire which is to be used in making the mesh.

The pattern sheet exercises its control over the wire feeding devices by elements which are moved to varying positions of rest determined by the effective areas and as each link is formed a new area is brought into operating position and 'the'mechanism func-.

tions in such a way that the wire feeding device for the supply of wire of which the next link is to he made is rendered effective in accordance with that kind of area which is brought into action. The mechanism may include a movable finger which cooperates with the pattern sheet moving to a position of rest which is determined by the area which lies in efiective position. This movable finger has as many different positions of rest as there are different kinds of wire, and in each position of rest it causes one of the wire feeding devices to operate while the others remain inoperative. In the course of the mesh-making operation, the link-forming tools and. the piece of mesh are given a step by step relative movement with the tools operating in each pause of the movement. The pattern sheet and the movable finger have a corresponding step by step. movement and at each pause in this movement the finger comes into contact with a sheet, thus assuming a position of rest determined the effective area of the sheet p'hich is presented to it. With the finger in its, position of rest as determined by the pattern sheet, a length of wire from the supply which is selected by the area. presented to the finger is fed to the link-forming tools and a link of this wire is inserted in the fabric in the usual way. Thereupon the finger is displaced from the pattern sheet and another step in their intermittent rel- ,ativemovement takes place, whereupon the :finger is. again brought into contact with the next successive area in the group and another link 18 formed from the selected kind of wire. When all the areas 111 a group have been brought successively into position, the pattern sheet and the finger are these tools add links one by one in successive rows, so that when the sleeve has made a complete rotation past the tools, two rows of links have been added at the end of the piece of mesh. Since the feeding of wire to each of these link-forming tools must be controlled, thereis one finger for each set, and the pattern sheet which is used in this type of machine has its effective areas arranged in double groups so that at each step inthe relative movement of the fingers and the sheet, two areas in the group are pre sented' to the fingers. The fingers are then moved simultaneously into contact with these areas and the wire which is fed to each set of tools is controlled in the usual way.

In this machine, three different kinds of wire are used for making links, consequently the effective areas are in three dillerent forums and whichever form of areais presented to the linger will bring; about the feeding of the corresponding kind of wire to that set oil tools. I

The mechanism by which the finger transmits its control action to the wire feeding, devices includes appropriate mechanism for producing a relative movement of the linger and sh et so as to move the linger out o'li conta with the areas on the sheet, then a second relative movement to cause the next successive area to he brought into elh ctive piisition relative to the finger, thereupon the finger and sheet are moved relatiwly so that the linger assumes a position of rest as determined by the area. l v itl the linger thus at a controlled position of rest, mechanism is actuated by which each oi": the feeding); de vices would be caused to feed avlcngth of wire, but the linger in assum ng this EDQSl. tion of rest has caused all but one of t iese devices to become ineffective so that the actuating mechanism for all off the teed de vices operates at the appropriate time, but only one of the feeding devices causes wire to he delivered to the tools.

The several groups of mechanism are provided with appropriate driving connections which are necessarily co-oroinated in action to permit the several instrumentalities to perform their functions in the proper tii'ne relation. As the link-making operation procceds, the pattern sheet determines the kind o'l wire which will he used in each link throughout the fabric. Accordingly, mesh of any desired pattern may he produced, and by a suitable arrangement oil the chine, as many diii erent kinds ot wire may he used as may be desired. The pattern which is produced will depend on the formation of the pattern sheet and the latter may he prepared in advance so that a mesh having plain portions or stripes or figures o't any degree oil intricacy will he formed. Also, since the change from one type of mesh to another simply involves the removal of the pattern sheet, as will presently he descrihed, the machine is not put out of action for any considerable length of time by such a change.

in the accon'ipany" n; drawings, one one hodiment oi the invention is illustrated, machine being one which produces three color mesh in the form of a sleeve. In these 's a top plan view of the machine,

's a plan view of the machine with late removed, ant. showing; certain ton,

3 is a vertical, longitudinal crosssection of the machine,

Fig. 4: is an end view of the machine lookinp; toward the right in Fig. i,

Fig. is a transverse sectional view on the line of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a plan iew oi the pattern mechanism shaft,

Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating the action of the control liars,

l 8 is a vertiral sectional view through the pattern sheet support,

l? in. 9 is an end view looking to the right in Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a view, partly in section, of a detail, of the control mechanism,

Fig. 11 is a sectional view through the pattern sheet support and certain associated parts of .he pattern mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a plan view ol. 2. portion of the pattern sheet,

Fig. 13 is an end view of a wire-feeding device,

Fig 14: is a front view of the same,

Fig, .15 is a top plan view of the feeding n'iecl'ian'sin with certain parts removed,

Fig. 6 is a face View of a movable wire lnoclz,

hig. 17 is a View showing the delivery end oil the same,

Figs. 18, 18, and 19 are side, perspective, and front views respectively of a modified form of wire feeding device, Fig. l8 showing a detail only.

F 20 and 21 are face and front end views, respectively, of modified type of wire guide hlock used in connection with. the wire-feeding mechanism shown in Fl 18 and 19. r

Fig. 22 is top plan view of the mechanism by which the pattern sheet is caused to he moved in correspondence with the movement of the mesh,

Fig. is a transverse sectional view on the line 2323 of Fig. 22,

Figs. 2-4 and 25 are longitudinal sectional views, taken on the lines 2%, and 2525, respectively, of Fig. 22.

Fig. 26 is a view similar to Fig. 22, but showing; the parts in different relation,

Fig. 2? is a sectional view on the line 2727 of Fig. 26,

Figs. 28 and 29 are longitudinal, sectional views of the mechai'iism taken, on the lines 2828 and 29-29, respectively, of Fig. 526,

Fig. 30 is av plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 22 and 26, but showing the parts at a later stage in the cycle of moven'ient,

Fig. 31 is a transverse, sectional view on the line 3131 of Fig. 30,

Figs. 32 and 38 are longitudinal, sectional views on the lines 82-32 and 3333, re spectively, of Pi 30,

Fig. 34: is a View similar to Fig. 30, but

showing the relative position of the parts at a later stage in the cycle of operation,

Figs. and 36 are longitudinal, sectional views taken on the lines 85-35 and 36-36, respectively, of Fig. 34,

I Fig. 37 is a view similar to Fig. 84, but showing the parts at the half-way point in the cycle of operations, I

Figs. 38 and 39 are longitudinal, sectional views on the lines 3838 and 39-39 respectively, of Fig. 37.

Referring to these drawings, the machine is seen to be provided with a table or bed plate 40 which is supported above the floor by legs 41, at any convenient height. Mounted centrally on the table are the instrumentalities for making the mesh, which include a block 42, which is cylindrical in form and is secured in place in an aperture in the table by means of an etension 43, which is threaded at its lower end and held in place by means of a nut 44. A ring is secured in a channel along the upper edge of the block, and the surface of this ring has a spiral groove. Secured in place on the top of the block by means of bolts 46 is a second block 47 and a ring 48 which lies in a channel in the smaller block 47 is supported so as to run freely on ball bearings 49 which rest on the top of the ring 45. The block 48 is provided with alternate vertical ridges and depressions, and encircling the block 47 and the upper end of the block 42 is a sleeve 50, the inner surface of which is providedwith alternate ridges and depressions, also vertically arranged. The

sleeve 50 has a flange 51 overlying a ring:

like support 52 which is suitably mounted on the table in any convenient manner, and ball bearings 53 are interposed between the flange 51 and the support 52 so that the sleeve may move with freedom. The edge.

of the flange is providedwith ratchet teeth 54, by means of which the sleeve may be given a step-wise movement of rotation by devices which will presently be described.

This links in successive rows in a fabric which is made up of links arranged in a plurality of transverse and a plurality of,

longitudinal rows, tilt in opposite directions, and this condition is taken advantage of in the present machine in order to provide a support for the mesh. As has been described, the sleeve 50 and the ring 48 have vertical ridges and depressions, and the ringmember 45 is provided with a spiral groove. The sleeve is positioned close to the ring members so that the rings in the mesh will engage in the depressions inthe sleeve and also in the spiral groove in the ring 45. Consequently, if the sleeve is given a rotational movement, the mesh which is held between the sleeve and the ring 48 will be caused to rotate, and since the links of the mesh engage in the spiral groove in the ring 45, which is held stationary, the result is that in this rotational movement the mesh is caused to move in the direction of its longitudinal axis. The sleeve of mesh, therefore, moves upwardly in a spiral path, step by step, and the rate of movement is such that at each period of rest a portion of the sleeve of mesh is presented to the link-forming tools, so that new links may be added. In the present machine, there are two sets of these tools disposed at diametrically opposite points in relation to the block 42. These link-forming supported in any convenient manner. The

link-forming assemblies are of similar construction, and but one of them need be described.

Supported in brackets 56, which depend from the bed plate 40, is a main drive shaft 57 which carries a pulley 58 at one end, and a clutch 59, which is shown somewhat diagrammatically, so that the pulley may be driven continuously and the shaft may be driven or may remain idle, as may be desired. At the other end the shaft carries a hand wheel 60, so that the shaft may be turned by hand in the event that it is necessary to set the parts in any desired relation, as for instance, if it should be necessary to insert one or more links which have been omitted because of a defect in the wire. The shaft carries near one end a bevel gear 61 which meshes with a similar gear 62 on an upright shaft 63 carried in a bearing member 64, supported in the table. The shaft extends beyond the upper end of the bearing. Between the gear and the lower face of the hearing, which is held in place by a nut 65, isa face cam 66 on which rides a roller 67 in the end of a rod 68. At its upper end the shaft carries a disc 69 be tween which and the upper face of the bearing 64, is interposed a double row of ball bearings 70. The disc carries a pin 71 disposed eccentrically in its upper surface, and surrounding this pin loosely is a block 72. The block enters a recess formed in a block 73, the lateral edges of which enter guideways 74 formed in upright supports 7 5, secured to the table. The block 73 enters between the arms of a yoke 7 6 which is formed by spaced flanges mounted on the rear end of the link-forming tool assembly.

The tool assembly is similar to that regularly employed in mesh machines now in common use, and is supported in a slot 77 formed in the top of the block 73 so that as the shaft 63 is driven by the main shaft the eccentricity of the pin 71 causes the block 73 carrying the tool assembly to move toward and away from the central block 4-2 about which the mesh is formed.

The link-forming assembly consists of a cylindrical housing 78, in the forward end of which is mounted a plunger consisting of a sleeve 79 into which is threaded a tubular member 80, the forward end of which carries prongs, one of which is shown at 81. Anchored in the member 77 in any convenient manner, is a die rod, the forward end of which is shown at 82, this rod extending through a channel formed in the member 77 and through the sleeve 70 and the tubular member 80. The forward end of the die rod has a channel, not shown, but formed on the arc of a circle for the purpose of bending the wire. The tubular member 80, is held in adjustable position in the sleeve 79 by means of a lock nut 83. The housing 7 S, in which the sleeve 79 is mounted, contains a spring encircling the rod 82, this spring tending to force the sleeve out of the housing, and thus retaining the tubular member 80 resiliently in position with reference to the end of the rod 82, Also threaded on the tubular member 80 is a depending lug 8& held in place by a lock nut 85. The forward end of the tubular member extends through a channel formed in the block 86' and a cap 87 bolted to the block 86 serves to hold the tubular member in place in this channel.

Pivotally mounted in a suitable channel in the block 86 is a rocking lever 88, the forward end of which carries a forming mandrel 89. The rear end of the rocking lever rests on the upper end of the rod 68, the

lower end of which carries the roller 67, resting on the face of the cam 66 and as the cam rotates, the lever, the mandrel end of which is normally forced upwardly by the spring 90, is rocked so as to raise and lower the mandrel under the control of the cam 66. Pivotally mounted in, a channel in which the forming mandrel end of the lever 88 moves, is a pivoted knife 91 which is rocked by a rocking arm 92, pivotally mounted in the block 86. The arm 92 is caused to rock by means of a vertical rod 93, the lower end of which carries a roller 94, bearing against a cam 95 on the main shaft 57 and a spring 06 holds the follower against the surface of the cam. The cam is so arranged that at the appropriate time the knife 91 is rocked so as to cut off a piece of wire which is then acted upon by the tools and bent to form a link,

Ref rring now to Fig. 5, there is shown in cross-sectional view, a portion of the block 80 in which the various parts previously mentioned are mounted, and resting in the channel in the upper end of this block isa movable guide block 97, against the upper surface of which bears one end of a leaf spring 98, the other end of which is secured to the block 86. The guide block has secured to its lower face a rod 99, passing through a bore formed in the block and resting at its lower end against a pin 100, which passes through a bore in the table 40. The lower end of the pin rests on one end of a rocking arm 101 pivotally mounted on the under surface of the table. The-other end of the arm 101 carries a roller 102 which bears against a group of cam surfaces formed on a control bar which will presently be described. The wire block which is shown more clearly in Figs. 16 and 17, is provided with spaced channels 103, formed in one face, the rear end of these channels being covered by a plate 104 and secured to the block in registry with the channels so to form continuous passages therewith, are tubes 105. Through these tubes are fed the wires which are to be delivered to the link-forming devices and as the present machine is designed to make use three kinds of wire, there are three channels and three tubes 105, each of which communicates with one of the wire-feeding devices. These tubes are provided so that the wire may be led from the feeding devices to the block without kinks or sharp bends being formed in it. The front end of that face of the block in which the channels are exposed, lies against a plate 106 secured in the block 86, and the knife member 91 is so disposed that as the wire is fed beyond the end of the block 97 at the appropriate time the knife member rocks and severs a length of wire close to the face of the guide block. As is shown in Figs. 1 and 5, a wire stop 107 is mounted in a bore in the block 86, in opposed relation to the wire guide block 97, this stop being held in position by means of a leaf spring 108, secured to the face of the block 86. As the wire is fed through the guide block its end abuts the end of the stop member 107 and when the exposed length of wire is severed the spring pressure of the stop 107' holds the severed length of wire in place until it can be taken up by the tools.

Mounted in a horizontal bore in the block 42 in registry with the outer die member, is an inner die rod 109, the end of which has a semicircular channel adapted to receive the ends of a staple of the wire, and, in cooperation with the outer die member, to bend these ends together to close the staple to form a link. This inner die member extends into a central vertical passage 110 in the block 12 in which moves a rod 111, the lower end of which has a roller 112 bearing on a cam 1.13 on the shaft 57. The upper end of the rod 111 has a cam surface 114 which bears against the rear end of the die member 109.

A leaf spring 115 secured on the block 42 bears against a shoulder formed on the inner die member, and maintains the latter against the cam surface 114:. The roller on the end guide block intov the channel in front of the die members. The end of this exposed length of wire bears against the spring-held wire stop 107. The knife member then swings about its pivot, severs the exposed. length of wire, and shortly thereafter the outer die member moves forwardly so that the prongs 81 bear against the severed length of wire. In the meantime the forming mandrel 89 has moved up into position and the prongs of the outer die member hearing against the wire, bend the latter around the formingmandrel, the wire, which then takes the form of the staple, being forced into the channel in the end of the die rod between the prongs 81. The forming mandrel is then lowered by the rocking of the arm 88 and the outer die member moves forwardly. The ends of the staple are now in the proper position so that they may be inserted through a pair of links at the edge of the mesh, and at the proper time the inner die member 109 is moved outwardly by the raising of the cam rod 111 so as to pro vide an abutment agamstwhlch the ends of the staple, which have been passed through a pair of links, come in contact, so as to cause these legs to be bent toward each other to complete the ring, stant, however, the lug 8 1 has engaged a stop lug 117, formed on the end of the block 86, which causes the outer tubular member 80 to be held stationary, thus permitting the inner member 82 to force the staple out beyond the ends of the prongs 81. The legs of the staple, having been inserted through a pair of links at the edge of the fabric, and

these legs bent toward each other so as to complete the ring or link by the cooperation of the inner and outer die rods, thetwo die rods move apart, thus releasing the link.

The mesh support now advances another step so as to present a new pair of links to the die rods, whereupon the various parts repeat their functlons and the next link is added. These parts are all operated by cam devices which are appropriately timed so that the mesh-making operation may progross without interruption.

The mesh is moved past the tools with a step-wise rotation by the movement of the outer sleeve 50, which has, at its upper end,

At the proper ina flange with ratchet teeth 54 formed on its rim. This is shown more clearly in Fig. 1. The supporting ring 52 on which this sleeve 50 runs is provided at opposite points with hearing lugs 119 and 120. The bearing lug 120 supports the upper end of a rock shaft 121 (see Fig. the lower end of which is appropriately journaled in the table. This rock shaft carries a lug 122 at its lower end in which is carried a roller 123 which bears against the surface of the cam 124 on the main drive shaft. Another lug 125 provides nut for one end of a spring 126, the other end of which is secured to the table, this spring tending to hold the shaft in such positi on as to force the roller against the face of the cam. At the upper end the shaft 121 carries a block 127 with a longitudinal channel formed in it. In the front end of the channel is secured a pawl 128 which is placed so as to engage in the ratchet teeth 118. This pawl has a rearward extension lying in the channel in the block 127, and also has a pin 129 which extends upwardly through a slot formed in the upper face of the block. Disposed in a recess in the block 127, behind the extension of the pawl, is a spring which holds the pawl inoperative position. As the shaft 121 is rocked by the cam 124-, in one movement the pawl engages one of the ratchet teeth and advances the sleeve 50 by one tooth. In the rearward movement the pawl rides over the teeth. Each ratchet tooth corresponds to a link in a row around the sleeve of mesh so that upon the sleeve being advanced by one tooth, a portion of the mesh is presented to the linkforming tools in appropriate position to have a new linlc added to it. bearing lug 119 is a block 130 which carries at its outer end a leaf spring 131 which engages in the teeth of the ratchet and prevents any retrograde movement of the sleeve of mesh as the pawl rides over these teeth.

The devices by which wire is fed from will now be described. The supply of wire is carried on the machine at any convenient location in the form of reels, which are not shown in the drawings. The wire is drawn from each of these reels and fed to the linkforming tools by means of av pair of rolls. The construction is illustrated more clearly in Figsg13 and 141-. The rolls 132 and 133 are mounted in pairs in a. channel formed in the block 13 1 mounted on the table 10. The shaft of the lower roll is mounted in suitable bearings formed in the block 134:, while the upper roll is carried in a. movable bearing in a slot 135 formed in the block 1341. A pair of coil springs 136 bear against the movable bearing so as to hold the upper roll 132 against the lower roll 133. The circumferential channels 137 formed in the two rolls are of such size that the rolls Mounted in the which are forced together by the pressure of the springs 136, will grip the wire with a slight pressure. On one end of the shaft of the lower roll is a gear 138, while the shaft of the upper roll. carries a similar gear 139, meshing therewith. On the other end of the shaft of the lower roll is a ratchet wheel 140 and a rocking arm 141 is loosely mounted on the end of this shaft. This arm carries a pawl 142 pivotally mounted on the arm and held against the teeth of the ratchet 140 by means of a leaf spring 143. The arm 141 is connected by a link 144 to the upper end of a rocking arm 145, the lower end of which, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, is fast on a rock shaft 146 appropriately supported from the bed of the machine. This rock shaft also carries an arm 147 having a roller 148 at its outer end, which bears against a cam 149 on the main drive shaft. As the cam 149 revolves, the rock shaft 146 is caused to rock and the arm 145 swings the smaller arm 141, thus causing the pawl 142 to move back, engage a new tooth of the ratchet and then, in its forward movement, rotate the ratchet to the extent of one tooth. By the movement of the ratchet the lower roll is caused to revolve and the upper roll is also revolved with it by reason of the meshing of the gears 138 and 139. The ratchet wheel 140 is so formed that when ever it advanced by one tooth a sufficient amount of wire is drawn from the supply by the feed rolls 132 and 133 for the formation of a single link. In the present machine there are two sets of link-forming devices and there are three supplies of wire which are to be fed selectively to each of these devices. There is one rock shaft for all of the supplies of wire which is to be fed to one set of tools, and in the present instance there are two rock shafts placed end to end.

beneath the table of the machine, each rock shaft being driven by an arm 147 on a cam 149. Each rock shaft carries three arms 145 to actuate a pawl associated with each of the three pairs of wire feeding rolls, but since wire is fed only from one supply at a time and since all of the pawls 142 are moved in unison, means must be provided to render two of these pawls ineffective at each fee-ding,- operation. Accordingly, each of the wire feeding devices is provided with a rod 150, disposed in a suit-able channel in the face of the block 134. This rod has a pin 151, which is located just beneath the pawl 142, so that when the rod is raised the pin will strike the pawl and lift it clear of the teeth of the ratchet wheel. Consequently, when the rod is in the upper position the pawl with which it is associated becomes ineffective and though the pawl may be rocked by the. arm 145 the feed rolls are not caused to rotate. At its lower end the rod 150 bears against a pin 152, which enters a bore formed in the table. The lower end of the rod 152 is pointed, as indicated at 153, and bears against the upper surface of a control 154. This control bar is provided with recesses in its upper surface and is so arranged that it may be reciprocated to different longitudinal positions. of adjustment and in any given posi tion one of the three rods 152 will enter a recess, thus causing the pawl correspond.- ing thereto to drop into engagement witl the teeth of the ratchet 140. The longitudinal positions of adjustment of the control bar 154, therefore, determine which of the wire-feeding devices. will be effective and thus determine the kind of wire of which a. link will be made at any instant in the progress of the mesh-making operation.

Since control is to be provided for the kind of wire which to be fed to each of the sets of link-forming tools, two control bars are made use of, as shown in Fig. 7. Each of these control. bars is disposed in a channel 155, formed in the lower surface of the table 40, and the control bars are forced toward each other by springs 156, one end of which is secured to a pin 15'? attached to the bar and the other to a pin 15S attached to a stationary part of the bed plate. As the two control bars are actuated by similar devices only one set of these devices will be described. A cam plate 159 is mounted in a suitable channel in the bed plate of the machine and is movable transversely of the control bar. The inner end of the control bar is beveled as indicated at 160, and this ond bears against one face of the cam plate. The cam plate has cam surfaces 161 formed in steps of four different heights and as the cam plate is moved to different positions transversely with relation to the control bar the inclined surface of the control bar rides over these steps which are inclined, as indicated. The position of adjustment of the control bar is consequently determined by the position of the cam plate since the end of the bar rests on these surfaces which are of varying heights. In Fig. 2 the cam plate at the left is in such a position of adjustment that the control bar rests against the lowest cam surface, and, as shown in Fig. 7, in this position the first notch 162 in the control bar is in a position to receive a pin 152 so that this pin drops down, thus lowering the rod 150 and permitting the pawl 142 associated with that rod to be effective. Consequently,

- with the control bar 154 in the position illustrated at the left in Fig. 2, wire will be fed from the first of the three supplies. The cam plate at the right in Fig. 2, however, is in a different position of adjustment so that the control bar rests against the second cam surface, and, as shown in Fig. 7, in this position it is the second of the three pins 152 Cir which is received in the notch 162 in that bar. Consequently, the second supply of wire will be fed to the right-hand set of tools. The third cam surface on each of the cam plates would permit the third supply of wire to'be fed, while the fourtlnindicated at 163, is so arranged as to throw all of the wire-feeding devices out of action.

On the lower surface of each of the cam bars is a plate 164, provided with areas of different hei 'hts also serving as a cam. This plate provides cam surfaces against which bear the roller 102 on the end of the arm 101. This arm bears against the pin 100, which, in turn, bears against the lower end of the arm 99 secured to the movable arm block as shown in Fig. 5, and, therel of the latter is determined by fore, as the roller 102 rides over these cam surfaces the arm 101 will be rocked to different positions of adjustment, thus bringing one or the other of the passages in the wire block into registry with the stop 107 and also into proper position to deliver wire to the link-forming devices. The control bar, accordingly, exercises control over both vides a second group and these groups of, cams are arranged in proper position so that whenever wire is being fed from one of the supplies of wire the passage in the movable wire block through which that wire passes will be in registry with the lmk-fornnng tools.

The position of the control bars 154: has,

been explained to be determined by the position of the cam plates 159, and the position the pattern mechanism now to be described. i

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the shaft-165 is mounted atone end in thebrackct 166 to the rear of the machine, the other end of the shaft beingalso supported in a similar bracket which carries the devices by which the shaft is moved longitudinally with a step by step movement. This shaft is shown in Fig. 8 as made in two parts and one end of the shaft carries a sleeve 167 while the other end of the other part of the shaft carries a similar sleeve 168. Mounted to revolve on each sleeve is a sprocket wheel 169 having a row of teeth 170 and a circumferene cial flange 171 disposed at one side of the teeth. wheels 169 on the outer face thereof, is a ratchet wheel 172 which is free to rotate about the sleeve 167. Between the sprocket wheels and encircling the inner ends of the sleeve 167, is a hollow cylindrical member 173, secured to the sprocket wheels by screws 174. The cylindrical member 173 has an intermediate portion 175 of reduced diameter. Enclosing the cylindrical member 173 and contacting with the portions of larger diameter thereof, which may be considered to constitute hubs, is a hollow cylindrical member 176, which in part serves to support the pattern sheet. This member is held against rotation by means of an angularly bent plate 177, one end of which is secured to the support 17 6 and the other to one portion of the shaft 165. The plate 177 also carries a plate 178 between the ends of which is carried an arcuate plate 179, bearinc; against the face of the sprocket wheel 180 and serving as a friction brake. The pattern sheet 181 shown in Fig. 12, has perforations 182 by means of which the forma tion of the links is controlled, and also has a row 183 of perforations, along either edge which receive the sprocket teeth 170. The pattern sheet is in the form of a continuous belt, and placed in position so that the sprocket teeth enter the perforations 183. The sprocket wheels provide a rotary sup port for the pattern sheet such that the sheet may be advanced in the direction of its length by devices which will presently be tirely across the cylindrical support and are so arranged that at any position of rest of "the pattern sheet two rows of'perforations will be disposed above these channels. Instead of using the stationary central support having a single pair of channels above which the rows of'perforations are successively brought to rest, itwould be possible to make use of a support having a plurality of rows of channelsspaced about its surface in correspondence with the position of the teeth on the ratchet wheels with which the sprocket wheels are provided. The desired object is to form the support so that a channel lies beneath each row of the pattern sheet when the latter is in effective position so that the fingers entering the perforations will not come in contact with the support *for the sheet.

The pattern sheet provides a means bywhich a selected wire may be fed to the link-forming tools for the production of any sin gle link in the fabric, the devices by which this result is obtained also providing for a movement of the movable Wire guide block so that the wire being fed will be properly Secured to each of the sprocket delivered to the link-forming tools. Since three different kinds of wire are to be used for the links, the pattern sheet must be formed with effective areas of three distinct kinds,.so that as these areas are brought successively into position to be rendered effective any one of the three different kinds of wire may be caused to be fed. As the pattern sheet to contro. the formation of each link in a row around the sleeve of mesh, there mustbe many of these effective areas in a row as there are links in a row around the sleeve. To attain the desired result, the pattern sl support is moved with a step by step movement in the direction transversely of the length of the sheet, and at each period of rest in the movement an effective area on the pattern sheet is brought into position to exercise its control. These effective areas are of three kinds, smallperforations such as 186, large perforations, 187, and unperforated portions of the pattern sheet, not designated. A blank space on the pattern sheet brought into position causes one kind of wire to be fed, a small perforation a second kind, and a large perforation a third kind, and at each period of rest in the movement of the pattern sheet, which, in turn, corresponds to each operation of the linlnforming tools, one of these areas is in position to control the feed of wire. Since the operation of each of the sets of tools is to be controlled the effective areas are disposed in double rows. The means by which the control provided by the pattern sheet is transmitted to the wirefeeding devices and the moving wire block, will now be described.

Secured to the rear edge of the bed plat of the machine is a bracket 188 which carries a rearward extension 189. In the outer end of the extension is a pin 190 which serves as the pivot of a pair of bell crank levers the inner end 191 of each of which is connected by a link 192 to the end of one of the cam plates 159.- Springs 193 secured to these cam plates tend to draw the cam plates inwardly so as to raise the lower arms 1.91 of the bell cranks. The outer arm 194: of each bell crank is forked. as shown in Fig. 1, and in this forked arm is received a vertically moving pin 195 provided with recesses 196 on its opposite faces, into which the forked end of the arm 19 1 enters. The walls of the recesses are arcuate so as to permit the arm 19 1 to move freely about its pivot 190. The pins 195 are mounted in bores in a block 197 which is secured to the rear end of the extension 189 of the bracket 188. These pins are drawn down wardly by means of springs 198., one end of which is secured to a smaller pin 199. extending from the surface of the main pin, the other end toa pin 200 which is mounted in the hub 201 of arocking arm 202 mounted on a pivot pin 203, secured in the walls of a channel 204, formed in the lower surface of the block 197. The arm 202 has a cam surface 205 having areas of three different heights, and a smaller pin 206 secured in the lower end of the main pin 195, bears against these cam surfaces. At its outer end, the arm 202 carries a finger 207 which has a shoulder 208 near its lower end. This finger formed on an arc and is so disposed in relation to one of the slots184i, 185, that the arm may be rocked and the finger will enter one of the perforations 186, 187 in the pattern sheet, which is disposed above these slots. There are two such fingers which are placed as shown in Fig. 5, in off-set relation, one being placed so as to enter the channel 184, the other the channel 185, and as different portions of the pattern sheet are brought to rest beneath these fingers the fingers are lowered into contact with the pattern sheet. If a blank portion of the pattern sheet is presented to the finger it will come to rest in the position illustrated in Fig. 11. If a small perforation is presented the extreme end of the finger will enter the perforation until the shoulder 208 bears against the surface of the sheet, whereas if a large perforation is presented the finger will drop downwardly to the bottom of the slot 185. Each finger accordingly has three positions of rest, as determined by the pattern sheet, and these positions of rest of the fingers in turn determine the position of rest of the cam plate and the control bar, and thus determine which wirefeeding device will be rendered effective.

Upon the completion of a link by the tools the pattern sheet is to be shifted so as to present a new portion to the fingers. The fingers consequently must be raised out of contact with the sheet and this result is obtained by means of a bell crank 209 pivoted on the shaft 1416 and carrying at its outer end a roller 210 which bears against a cam 211 on the main shaft of the machine. The outer end of the bell crank 209 carries a cross bar 212 which is disposed beneath an extending rod 213 mounted on the end of the arms 202. As the bell crank 209 is rocked the cross bar 212 is raised, engages the rods 213, and thus rocks the arms 202 on their pivots 203. raising the fingers 207 out of contact with the pattern sheet. Since the small pin 206 bears against the cam surface 205 on the arm 202 the main pin 195 must be raised so that the small pin will clear the cam surface prior to the raising of the finger, and this result is brought about by means of a second bell crank 214, also pivoted on the shaft 146. At its rear end this bell crank has a cross bar 215, near each end of which is an ad justment screw 216 and at its rear end the arm217 of the bell crank bears against a cam. 218. also carried on the main shaft of the machine. As this bell crank 214 is rocked. its rear end moves downwardly and the adjustment screws bear against fiat sur- 

